Apparently, political campaigns run on Dunkin'

If politicians really do represent the people who elect them, then it's official: Dunkin' Donuts is Massachusetts' coffee shop of choice.

Candidates running for office throughout the commonwealth spent a total of $15,753.96 in campaign funds at outposts of the Canton-headquartered chain last year, more than 10 times the $1,567.53 spent at Starbucks locations, according to reports filed with the state's Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

While some of the purchases at Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks are for purposes explicitly listed as "coffee," others bear such descriptions as "meetings expense" or "political breakfast."

Of the 67,550 reported campaign expenditures in 2012, 266 include coffee in the purpose, for a total of $15,682.73.

Sums of more than $15,000 are a small fraction of the total $39.9 million spent by candidates for state office and political-action committees, but the cost of a caffeine fix is still more than the price paid for some other campaign staples.

Massachusetts campaign-finance law dictates that funds can only be expended "to enhance your political future, so long as it's not primarily personal," said Jason Tait, director of communications at the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

Tait said a politician who brought along refreshments when discussing campaign issues with elderly voters would be spending in that spirit.

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"If a candidate goes to the senior center and does not bring coffee and doughnuts, they're probably going to lose about 30 votes," he said.

Coffee-related purchases made throughout the year include cups or gift cards for volunteers and staff, office coffee makers and refreshments for meet-and-greets with constituents.

Several candidates spent about $2 on an individual trip to a Dunkin' Donuts store either in their district or near the Statehouse. At the other end of the spectrum is the $1,561.43 spent on coffee and food from Boston's Ashburton Cafe by then-state Sen. Steven Baddour, for an event on his last day in office. Baddour, a Methuen Democrat, resigned in April to join a Boston law firm.

In terms of the total spent on coffee throughout the year, numbers range from $3 spent by members of Second Thoughts, a committee opposing the ballot question that sought to legalize physician-assisted suicide, on coffee in the Statehouse cafeteria during a legislative briefing, to the refreshments for Baddour's event.

Close behind Baddour is House Minority Leader Rep. Brad Jones, a North Reading Republican, who spent $1,282.66.

Among Jones' purchases throughout the year were seven orders of coffee for his Statehouse office, each totaling more than $100, and a new coffee machine for the office.

Most of the 92 candidates and committees who reported spending specifically on coffee did so in one or two instances.

The most frequent coffee buyers in 2012 were state Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez, D-Jamaica Plain, with 25 coffee-related expenditures, state Sen. Benjamin Downing, D-Pittsfield, with 19, state Sen. John F. Keenan, D-Quincy, with 14, and Dracut Selectman Cathy Richardson, who unsuccessfully ran for state representative. Richardson's 10 coffee purchases were all at a Dunkin' Donuts in her hometown.

Of the 350 expenditures at Dunkin' Donuts, the most spent in a single trip was $400, when Lt. Gov. Tim Murray's campaign purchased that much in gift cards to supporters.

Defeated Governor's Council candidate Bart Timilty's 16 trips to Dunkin' Donuts made him the company's most frequent customer. State Sen. Barry Finegold was close behind, with 15 expenditures at an Andover franchise, each of which was described as a "meetings expense."

Finegold, an Andover Democrat whose district includes Tewksbury and Dracut, was the local legislator to spend the most at Dunkin' Donuts, with a total of $353.17.

Overall, the candidate with the highest spending at Dunkin' Donuts was state Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, a Boston Democrat, whose $616.45 included purchases of more than $200 made for Election Day workers in both the general election and state primary.

Tait, from the state OCPF, said he could not comment on whether any specific instance of political spending on coffee is appropriate.

Instead, he said his office asks candidates to remember that campaign funds should be used for a political benefit.

"If you're buying coffee and doughnuts for your family, that would be personal," he said.

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